Unmasked
by MermaidGirl34
Summary: Barbara Gordon knew the risks of being a masked vigilante when she signed into the Bat family. She knew she could be hurt, killed or...unmasked. But she never thought it would happen, or thought about what would happen if she was. Until now
1. Close Call

Sometimes, being a superhero isn't all what it's cracked up to be.

Take it from me, I consider myself an expert.

My first amazing appearance was stopping a low-life criminal dressed as a bug from taking Bruce Wayne hostage.

A hostage who turned out to be the Batman.

Who was none to happy about the fact that I copied his trademark.

So he set his little, pixy-booted, short panted sidekick to supposedly help me until I "wise up and quit."

But I didn't quit, and I then proceeded to:

Get myself nearly killed in a fire, a motorcycle incident, and a three hundred foot fall (approximately) into a swimming pool.

Almost get shot by a couple of shoplifters in a grocery store.

Fall off a building in the attempt of swinging from a jump line with no give.

And through all of this, I broke the heel off of one of my favorite boots.

Not the best way to make an impression on someone.

Especially when that someone is Batman.

But...somehow, through all of it, I…passed some sort of test. And Batman accepted me as his newest partner.

BATGIRL.

That… was almost a year and a half ago.

I stumbled through my window, and landed with a soft "oof" on my bed. I _really_ needed to find a better way to sneak into my room after patrol. As I pulled off my worn, yellow boots, I silently thanked the lord that Dad had the late-night shift tonigh-

"Barbara?"

I froze. DAD!

I frantically scrambled to get my costume off, ripping off my gloves, cape, mask, and utility belt before stuffing them mercilessly behind my pillow.

"Barbara?" my dad was at the door now. Thank God I hadn't turned the lights on! "Barbara, is that you?"

I threw my armored shirt off, leaving me in a tank top, and my tight black, armored pants followed. I simply had spandex underneath, but I was going to bed anyway, so that didn't matter.

"Barbara?" my dad asked politely, knocking on my unlocked door. I have about thirty seconds before he opened it, whether I had invited him in or not. I kicked my shirt and pants under the bed and dived into the covers not a moment too soon.

"Barbara—"

Dad cut off when he saw me, tucked into the messed-up covers of my bed, eyes shut. I prayed silently that he didn't see through my faking. I could see the light from the hallway through my eyelids, and I could feel his eyes burning a hole in my forehead.

_Okay, Babs. Superb acting skills, (well __average __improv skills that Bruce taught you,) time to get moving._

I waited a moment, before slowly sitting up with a small, tired yawn. I smiled at myself inwardly. I'm really not half bad.

"Dad?" I said groggily. "S'that you?"

"Um, hey Barbara." Dad said sheepishly. "I…uh, didn't mean to disturb you, or anything. I just wasn't sure if you were…home."

I yawned again. "S'okay," I said, thinking about the big day I have with Dick tomorrow. The first mission Bruce has ever given us out of Gotham, and by ourselves! "I went to bed early. Y'know. Big day tomorrow."

Dad gave me a weird look. "What?" he said.

I gulped. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Did I really just say that out loud? I scrambled frantically to fix it. "Um, you know, tomorrow. Black Friday," I said, and then congratulated myself on my brilliance. That's right! Play the young, shopping-obsessed women. Drag his suspicions away from any vigilante activities.

"Oh, yeah," Dad said uncomfortably. "Big day for…shoppers."

I scoffed at him, a hint of a smile behind my scowl. "It's not just _any _day, Dad!" I said, looking at him like he was crazy. Once I had something to work off of, it was easy acting. "Black Friday has the hottest deals on everything! I have to get a new computer anyway, but they're usually so expensive. But on Black Friday they're usually around—"

"Alright, alright, I get it Barbara," Dad said with a chuckle. "It's very important to you. I'm sorry I bothered you."

He reached for the door, and looked back for a moment. "Good night, Barbara," he said fondly.

"G'night Dad," I said, smiling. He smiled back, and then the door shut with a snap behind him, plunging the room into darkness.

I let out a sigh of relief. _That _was too close. I can't believe I had almost let everything slip. Dick was so lucky, having a father who knows—and approves—of his nighttime adventures. I don't have that luxury.

I sighed again and swung my legs off the bed, staring at the tip of the sleeve on my Batgirl shirt that was peering out from under my bed. I've thought about telling Dad about career as Batgirl for a long time now. Things would be so much easier for me if I did. No sneaking out after dark. No cover-ups, or make-up to hide my wounds.

But I know how he would react if I did.

Badly.

At the least, he'd probably start yelling at me about how I could get myself killed and how disappointed he was with me for not telling him, and going behind his back for so long. Then he'd probably board up my window and lock me in my room from the outside while he went to police headquarters to light the Bat-signal so he could yell at Batman for endangering his daughter and letting her make a career out of superheroics behind his back. No, telling Dad was out of the question. That was why Bruce, Dick and I all agreed to throw him off the trail with Dick's little dress-up game, and my timely arrival on the roof. I smiled at the thought. Seeing Dicky Boy dress up as a girl was one of the highlights of my superhero career.

At that moment, my communicator went off. I had it on vibrate, and I silently thanked myself for keeping it on that setting, instead of my pretty obnoxiously loud ringtone, which was an orchestra directed by Danny Elfman, (one of my favorite composers,) playing a dark, mysterious tune. Dick had nicknamed it "The Batman Theme," which had brought us a few good laughs and a scowl from Bruce.

I glanced at the caller ID and smiled. Speak of the devil. I put the communicator up to my ear.

"Hey, Robin," I said in a low voice, so my Dad wouldn't hear. "What's up?"

"Heelllloooo," Dick said playfully. "How's my favorite batlady doing this fine evening?"

I shook my head at him, smiling. "You're a flatterer, you," I said, still barely above a whisper. "Now what are you _really _calling me about?"

"Just seeing if you're ready for tomorrow," he said innocently. I could hear the air rushing past behind him, and I figured he was probably hundreds of feet above the ground, on patrol. "You know, it's our first real solo mission together out of Gotham. I just wanted to make sure you were ready." I could hear the smile in his voice. "And why are we whispering?"

"We're whispering because I'm supposed to be in bed, asleep right now," I said. "I just had a very close call with you-know-who."

Dick whistled. "The Commish has been snooping around?" he inferred. "Doesn't sound very appealing. Good thing you took the early shift today."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Lucky break on my part. I just got in when he came up to check on me. Fastest change _I've _ever done. And even then, I almost blew it."

Dick seemed curious now. "Whatcha tell him?" he asked, mildly interested.

I repeated my encounter to him, and he whistled again. "That _does _sound close," he agreed. "Good save with the Black Friday idea."

"I shouldn't have spilled about our mission tomorrow though," I muttered, angry at myself for slipping up.

"Everyone makes mistakes," Robin said reassuringly. "One time, I accidentally mentioned my nightly patrols to one of my friends at school. I had to make this _giant _cover up about going to the GCPD every so often for tours with certain cops, and occasionally go on a patrol with them in the police cars. Bruce had to make a real one of those tours just so I could be true to my word. He wasn't too happy."

I laughed. "Did that really happen?" I asked him. "Or did you just make that up to make me feel better?"

"Since when did I make _anything _up?" he retorted playfully. "I am Robin, the Boy Wonder, and I will _never _lie!"

I laughed again. "Keep dreaming, Dicky Boy."

He laughed too. "See you tomorrow, Babs."

"Till then, Dickster." I replied, and then he hung up.

I shut off my communicator, and tucked it into my utility belt, which was still behind my pillow. Then I put my costume away neatly in its proper hiding place, a hole that Bruce had kindly installed for me behind my dresser, before sliding back into bed. I yawned - a real yawn this time - and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

I didn't know just how right I was…


	2. The Mission Part 1

I awoke the next morning oddly refreshed. My patrol hadn't been all that eventful last night, now that I think about it, and I did have the early shift, so I guess I got more sleep than usual. I smiled slightly. That might give me the upper hand over Dick during the mission today, since he had the later shift. Oh, the fun of upstaging boys. Especially Boy _Wonders._

I went downstairs, and found Dad at the kitchen table, drinking his coffee, and reading the newspaper, as usual.

"Morning Dad," I greeted him, kissing him on the cheek and grabbing a piece of toast off his plate.

"Good morning to you too, Sunshine," he mumbled tiredly.

I stopped, and put my hands on my hips. "Dad," I said sternly, "What time did you go to bed last night?"

"Four," he grumbled.

I shook my head at him. "You got home at one!" I scolded. "You're pushing yourself too hard."

"I know, I know," he said, pushing my accusation away. "It's just this new case. It's really—"

"Important to you. I know," I said. "But that's no reason to kill yourself over it."

He looked at me for a long time. "You remind me so much of your mother," he sighed, taking a sip of his coffee.

I smiled. "I trym" I said, grabbing my coat of the hook, and shouldering my duffle bag.

Dad looked at me suspiciously. "Where you off to?" he asked cautiously.

I gave him a look. "Dad, its _Black Friday!_ Where do you _think _I'm going?"

"Oh, right," he said, going back to his newspaper. "Shopping. You going with anyone?"

I smiled slightly. "I was thinking about dragging Dick along with me," I said slyly.

Dad looked up from his newspaper. "Dick Grayson?" he asked.

I nodded. Dad gave me a stern look. "You're two aren't _dating _are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"No," I said carefully. "At this point, I'm just letting him get his hopes up."

Dad went back to his newspaper again. "Well, I would prefer you keep it that way," he said finally.

"Better than dating _Robin, _though, right?" I threw out deviously. I was pushing it now, and I knew it.

Dad looked at me. Long and hard. "If you're referring," he said slowly, "To that night on the roof a year ago, then yes, I would say that I'd _much_ rather have you dating the Wayne boy than _that _reckless kid. Going to get himself killed one day, mark my words. _All _those Bat kids will."

I smiled. "If you say so, Dad." I said. "See you tonight." Then I left the house.

The moment I was in my car, I bursted into giggles. If only you knew, Dad. If only you knew…

I pulled up to the gates of Wayne Manor fifteen minutes later. I'd been Batgirl for over a year now, and had been here plenty of times in and out of uniform, but I still marveled at how big the place was. I could have passed the manor every day and still have not an inkling of an idea that Batman lived there. Or that there was a secret Batcave hidden below it. I'm so jealous of Bruce and Dick. Having a fortune, tools, and a cave at their disposal to do all their crime fighting business in secret. No one would question Bruce Wayne if he ordered a shipment of high-tech gas bombs, mini-explosives, and bulletproof vests. They wouldn't see past the check. Barbara Gordon on the other hand, would have had some trouble. It must have been _easy _for him to get his hands on all his stuff. But when _I _first took up crime fighting, I wasn't so lucky.

Of course, now that Batman has taken in Batgirl as his _official _partner, and not his freelancing female counterpart, I get access to all the same equipment as he and Robin do. (Except the Batmobile. _No one _but the Big Guy gets to drive The Car.)

Let's just say, once I took the oath and was sworn into the Bat Family, things got a _lot _easier when it came to supplying things.

I got out of my car, and pressed the little red button on the intercom by the gate. There was a beep then, _"Name and purpose?" _It was an English accent, and I knew it well.

"Hey, Jeeves," I said into the intercom. "It's Barbara."

_"Ah, Miss Gordon," _Alfred said. _"Master Richard has been expecting you. Do come in." _

There was another beep, and the gates opened. I walked up the long driveway, and met Al at the door.

"Hello, Jeeves," I greeted him cheerfully, giving him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning, Miss Gordon," Al greeted me in his usual formalness. "Master Richard is waiting for you in the parlor. Follow me."

I followed him through the winding twisting halls filled with collections of antique statues and paintings until we reached the massive room that could barely be described as a "parlor." Dick was lying lazily on one of the couches, playing a handheld video game that seemed to house a lot of kicking and punching, judging by the sound effects. He didn't hear us enter, and when Al opened his mouth to announce me, I motioned him to be quiet. Then I soundlessly and stealthily crept up behind Dick and yelled, "Boo!"

He yelped and fell off the couch in surprise. His reflects and training took over, and he landed in a somersault, before jumping up into a defensive judo crouch. I was beside myself with laughter, clutching the side of the sofa for support.

Dick scowled at me, straitening up and letting his hands fall to his sides. "That wasn't funny, Babs," he said. "I thought you were Catwoman or someone!"

"Exactly!" I chortled. "Oh, man, you should have seen your face!"

He pointed a warning finger at me. "Stop fooling around," he said in his best Batman Voice. "This is serious business!"

That caused us both to then fall into fits of laughter, and we both collapsed onto the couch. Alfred shook his head and left us to our fun.

When we finally stopped laughing, we sat in silence for a while. "Hi," I said finally.

"Hi," he said, smiling. "Did you get your Dad off your case?"

I nodded. "He bought the Black Friday thing. Thank God!"

He smiled. "Good."

"Where's Bruce?" I asked.

"Cave," he answered carelessly, since he knew I'd already guessed. "He'll be up to give us our 'mission briefing' in a minute, and then were in our own."

"Do you have any idea what we have to do?" I asked, hoping he'd know a little more than I did on our new assignment.

He shook his head. "I don't know any more than you do." He picked his video game off the floor. "I guess we'll just have to find out."

He went back to his game.

I rolled my eyes and looked at what he was playing over his shoulder. It was some sort of boxing game, or dueling game.

"Whadda playing?" I asked him, for lack of something to talk about while we waited.

Dick paused the game for a moment. "It's called Super Duel," he explained. "It's a video game that you can create your own character, and then challenge anyone who has the game around the _world _to a duel." He paused, and hit a couple of buttons. A picture appeared on the screen.

"This is my character," he told me, grinning. "See?"

He held up the screen for me to see what he was pointing at. It was a picture of a man with shaggy black hair and pronounced muscles. He wore a skintight, black suit with a blue insignia that wound from the center of his chest, over his shoulders, and around his back in a V. An odd shaped blue mask covered his eyes, complete with black blue-striped gloves and boots to match.

"Cool.," I said. Despite my limited interest in such video games, I must admit that the costume _was _pretty cool. Better than pixy boots and tight green underwear anyway.

"Really?" he asked, a strange look in his eyes. "You think it's cool?"

"Yeah," I said truthfully. "It's different. I like it a lot. Did you design it?"

He nodded. "It…I dunno, just came to me," he said quietly. He looked at the picture again with a small smile.

"What's his name?" I asked, cocking my head at the figure on the screen.

"Hmm?" he murmured, distracted.

"What do you call him?" I asked again.

"Oh." He flushed. "Um, Nightwing. His name is Nightwing."

"Nightwing…" I repeated slowly. "That's a good name."

There was a slight cough from the doorway, and we both whipped around.

"Am I interrupting?" Bruce asked, a slightly mocking smile on his lips.

"No! No no no, not at all!" I said, scrambling away from my position at Dick's shoulder.

Bruce looked at Dick.

"We were just talking!" he rushed, blushing fiercely.

Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Honest! We were _just talking!_" Dick sounded frantic now, and his face a bright red. My face was rather warm too.

"Why don't we get down to _business, _shall we?" Bruce said, his gaze resting on both of us before he settled down in armchair. He folded his hands, taking us both in. There was an expression of total seriousness on his face now, the playful smirk from earlier having completely vanished. Bruce Wayne was gone, Batman was back.

"I'm entrusting both of you in a very important mission," he said quietly. "A _very _important mission. I would not be letting you go alone, but I have some very important business today at Arkham that cannot wait. So I'm counting on you two to be able to do this _maturely _and _efficiently_. That means _no goofing off._" He fixed us both with a hard stare. "Understand?"

We both nodded vigorously.

"Good," he said, rising. "Get in your uniforms and meet me in the cave. I'll fly you to Metropolis in the Batplane, and Superman will brief you on your mission from there."

It was like he'd hit me with a load of bricks.

"_Superman?" _Dick repeated in disbelievement, voicing my own thoughts.

"No, Green Lantern," Bruce said sarcastically. "Yes, Superman." He glared at our astonished expressions, before turning on his heal and leaving the room. "Batcave, ten minutes, hurry up!"

Dick and I looked at each other, and then hurried to the bathrooms to get our uniforms on.

"_Superman!_" I whispered in awe as Dick and I descended the long, steep stairs to the Batcave. "Was he serious?"

"Seemed pretty serious to me," Dick whispered back. He was trying to act cool, and unfazed, like he did things like meet big time alien superheroes every day. But I could still see the shock and excitement on his face, green mask or no. I probably looked the same way.

"Have you ever met him?" I asked him cautiously. Dick had, of course, been in the superhero business longer than I had. He might have met quite a few superheroes.

But Dick shook his head. "I met the whole Justice League," he whispered. "When we formed the Teen Titans, and we had to…never mind. But Superman wasn't there. So I've never met him."

I smiled. "Then we'll just have to meet him together then," I said, eyes twinkling behind my mask.

We reached the end of the stairs and hurried over to the Batcomputer. Bruce was already there, in uniform and with a sizeable scowl to match.

"I said ten minutes," he growled at us, without taking his eyes off the screen of the computer. "Not fifteen." He started typing something rapidly on the computer, completely ignoring us. Dick looked at me, pointed to Bruce, and made the Cookoo sign. I stifled a laugh, and Bruce turned around, scowl deepening. He flipped his mask on.

"Let's go," he snapped, striding off toward the Batplane. Robin and I followed, trotting to keep up with Batman's long strides.

Once Bruce opened the door, Dick opened his mouth. "No, you may not fly the plane," Batman said before a word could come out of Robin's mouth.

I smirked, and Dick closed his mouth, looking sulky. Bruce got in the pilot's seat, and Dick and I raced to claim the passenger's seat. He beat me, doing a front flip into the seat and laughing at me. "Beat ya!" he jeered.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and climbed into the back. "Buckle up." Batman warned us, and we both scurried to buckle in.

He put the key in the ignition, and the engine spurred to life. I looked out the window and smiled at the sight of the black Bat wings spreading out from it. I was giddy with excitement, and I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. A hole in the side of the cave opened up in front of us, and the plane began to speed up. Soon it had zoomed out of the cave into the sunlight ahead. It looked like we were about to run out of road when Batman pulled sharply on the joystick, and the plane's nose rose into the air. My ears popped, and in a matter of seconds we were three hundred feet above the ground, and the plane was leveled.

I realized my eyes were closed shut, so I opened them, and looked out the window with a small sigh. I forgot that this was my first real flight in the Batplane.

Dick turned around, a big smile on his face. "You okay?" he asked, smiling at my rigid position. He seemed perfectly fine with being airborne. But of course he'd flown in this thing _plenty _of times. Right.

"Fine," I said, managing a small smile.

He smirked. "You should have seen your face," he chortled.

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you," Bruce remarked, directing our course. "If I remember right, you didn't do too well on your first flight either."

Dick blushed and I laughed.

"Um, so what exactly will we being doing?" Dick asked uncomfortably, trying to change the subject.

"Like I said, Superman will brief you on the situation when we reach Metropolis," Bruce repeated, making a wide turn around a Southwest airplane. I guess he didn't want to be spotted in broad daylight. Creature of the night thing. Right.

"I don't know all of it myself," he continued as if nothing had happened. "This wasn't going to be your original mission."

Dick turned around and raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged. News to me.

"What was our original mission?" Robin asked.

"You were going to serve Monitor Duty at the Watchtower," Bruce said tonelessly, turning the plane into a sharp turn. Dick turned around to me again and mouthed, "Monitor Duty? Is he _serious?_"

I shrugged again, but it did sound pretty dull. From what little I know about the JLA, Monitor Duty is sitting in a room with a bunch a screens, watching all the heroes and making sure all the distress calls are answered, and nothing goes wrong. It's an important job, but things rarely go _wrong. _So you just sit there. Staring at the screens. For _three hours. _

Boring.

"That was going to be your assignment until I got a call from Superman earlier this morning," Bruce continued, ignoring our rather disgusted expressions. "There was a massive emergency down in a town near Metropolis, and he needed you two there as soon as possible. He didn't tell me why, he just told me to meet him with both of you on top of the Daily Planet as soon as I could get over. Then he cut off."

He frowned. "That was about fifteen minutes or so before you arrived, Barbara. I was trying to get more details on what this emergency was, but there was no information online or in the JLA's files, no contact with this town was reachable, and Superman's com had interference. I've have no idea why he needs you two, but it better be good."

He directed the plane in to a small dive out of the clouds and I shrieked as I face planted into the back of Dick's chair. Then we leveled again, and Robin laughed his head off.

"Oh, shut up…" I mumbled.

"We're here," Bruce announced, and Dick and I scooted over to our windows in excitement.

"Whoa," I breathed, looking over the wide landscape of tall, shiny buildings and the bright, busy streets. It looked about as far as possible a city can look from a Gotham City. No dark, brooding buildings with no lights. No dark alleys and littered parks. Gotham is all dark, dark, dark. But Metropolis was all light, light, light. I can see why a hero like Superman would prefer _this _city to the dark and shadowy streets of Gotham. I know _I _would.

Bruce, on the other hand, seemed to have the opposite feelings.

"I _hate _Metropolis…" he murmured darkly.

I turned to look at him in surprise. "Why?" Dick asked, just as confused as I was. "It's so…_different _from Gotham. Cleaner."

"It's too bright," Batman mumbled, pushing on the joystick to make the plane rise over a tall steeple that was in the way.

"_'Too bright'_?" I echoed. "Bruce, its _daytime_, what do you expect?"

"It's too bright in the night too," he retorted as a building with a giant bronze planet set on top loomed ahead. The Daily Planet. "Buildings are too slick…Batlines can't get a grip…" He was still mumbling about how much he hated the big city as he circled the Planet, and brought the plane down safely on the roof.

A blue and red figure waited, leaning against one of the railings.

I sucked in my breath, and Dick looked like he was about to explode. From excitement or nervousness I couldn't tell. Bruce shut off the engine and exited the plane, walking up briskly to the man as if he did this thing every day.

Which could be entirely possible.

I sat there, staring for a couple of minutes. For someone reason, I couldn't bring myself to move.

"We…should probably get out," Dick said slowly.

"Um, yeah…" I said, feeling foolish. I opened my door, and gingerly set myself down on solid ground. I wobbled a bit, but then regained my balance. I don't think the flight agreed with me.

Dick was already ahead of me, walking toward Bruce with his chin high and a look of superiority on his face.

He obviously thought he looked pretty professional.

_I _thought he looked like a deranged ostrich.

I quickly caught up to him, and as we approached the pair, my heart quickened.

"—really require them?" Bruce was saying. "Can't we send someone el—"

He cut off as we approached. "Took you long enough," he growled, before turning back around. "Superman, meet Batgirl and Robin."

He gestured between us. "Batgirl, Robin," he said formally. "Meet Superman."

I finally dared to look away from Bruce to face the man that I had seen on the news time after time after time.

He was tall, taller than I imagined him, with a strong, muscular build, his biceps clearly visible through the fabric of his costume. The red boots and cape, the blue pants and shirt, and most of all, the giant, famous S that covered his chest, seemed to have a slight glow in the midmorning light. And if that wasn't good enough, he had the _perfect _face. Tan, soft skin, and a perfectly centered nose. And his eyes…eyes the shade of the clear blue sky…

I thought that I should probably say hello, shake his hand, maybe.

Instead, I almost fainted.

"Um, hi," Dick said lamely, holding out his hand. "Nice…nice to meet you."

Superman smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Boy Wonder," he said. "Bruce has told me _all_ about you."

Dick looked stunned, and he gave Batman a look that said, "_You did what?" _

But Superman didn't seem to notice. He turned to me, the perfectly white teeth of his smile almost blinding me. Following Dick's example, I stuck out my hand. "H-h-hello." I said shakily. I couldn't stop starring at those eyes…

"Hello, Barbara," he said, dazzling me with that smile and shaking my hand. His hand was warm, firm… and relaxing. "It's nice to put a face to the redhead whose been giving Bruce so much trouble."

I blushed, but then realized something. He called me Barbara…

"You…you know my name…" I said weakly.

He grinned. "Well, Batman and I had a…chat, and he agreed to tell me _both _of your secret identities," he winked at me.

"You're a horrible blackmailer," Bruce cut in. "I just told you because it wouldn't have changed anything."

"Oh, admit it." Superman said, smirking. "You were intimidated."

A smile I knew all too well crept up on Bruce's masked face.

"Um, Superman?" I said softly. "You might not want to—"

"Alright, then." Bruce interrupted, leaning against the railing. "Let's even up the score…Clark Kent."

Dick and I looked at each other in surprise, and then both whipped around to look at Superman. He looked shocked. "That was uncalled for," he said sharply to Bruce, crossing his arms.

Batman was unfazed. "Well, not that we _all _know who each other are, let's get down to business." He looked at Superman...Clark. Superman hesitated, as if he wanted to continue the little debate between him and Bruce, but thought better of it.

He sighed. "Right," he said, turning to Robin and I. "Well, the reason I called you over here is that I have a mission for you that you—and _only _you two can complete."

"What is it?" Dick asked eagerly. He looked like he was going to start jumping up and down with excitement.

"There's a situation down in the town of Bridendale, a couple of miles out of Metropolis," Clark explained. "There's a hostage situation. Either a metahuman or magician, but I'm not entirely su—"

"A metahuman hostage situation?" Bruce interrupted, any trace of playfulness gone from his face. "You called us all the way to Metropolis for a _hostage situation? _Why couldn't you just take care of it yourself?"

"I'm getting to that," Clark said calmly, unfazed by Batman's hostile tone. "Calm down."

Bruce glared at him. Superman turned back to us. "We sent a couple of Leaguers in to take care of the threat, including me," he said. "But the perpetrator had cast some sort of spell…or done _something_, so that when any of the League enter the city they…well…shrunk."

"_Shrunk?"_ Dick repeated, confused.

"De-aged, shrunk…" Superman shook his head in wonderment. "We all turned into…kids."

"What?" Batman excalimed, straightening up from his position by the rail.

"We all turned into _children_." Superman explained. "I shrunk about two feet, my voice rose…I was _ten years old._" He paused. "_All _of us were ten years old…"

There was an awkward silence. "Um…how are _we _supposed to help?" I asked, still not quite seeing where Dick and I were supposed to fit in. "Won't _we _just de-age too?"

"Ah, but you _won't_." Superman said, smiling. "At least, that's what we're hoping."

Dick looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. "Um… I don't get—" I cut off as something hit me.

Superman smiled at me. "Get it?" he said. I nodded, stunned at what Superman was expecting us to do…and excited.

Dick was looking back and forth between Clark and I. "What?" he demanded. "_What? _I still don't see how were supposed to do this without de-aging!"

"But that's it, Dick!" I said, a smile rising on my face as I turned to him, eyes bright with newfound excitement. "We _won't _turn into kids! Because we're _already kids!" _

Dick stared at me for a moment, digesting what I had said, and then the thrill of adventure claimed him as well. "Seriously?" he said, rounding on Superman, eyes shining. "You think that the enchantment won't work on us because we're _already _young?"

"Not just that," Clark said, his eyes twinkling. "It might have the complete _opposite _effect."

Robin and I looked at each other, stunned. "You…you mean…" I said weakly. "That instead of turning us into _kids_, the enchantment will turn us into _adults?_"

Superman nodded. "It makes sense," he said. "An adult flies in, the enchantment—or _whatever _that power-field is—turns them into a child. But a _child _flies in, and the enchantment turns them into an _adult._ Simple logic, don't you think?"

"Yes…" Bruce said, speaking up for the first time in a while. "But why _them? _If all you need is a kid to infiltrate the town, why not one of the other Teen Titans? Or any _other _teenage hero for that matter? Why do you specifically need _my partners?" _

Clark grimaced. "Ah," he said quietly. "Uh, well…that's were the _other _problem of this situation is."

Bruce gave him a quizzical look. "What?"

"The enchantment doesn't only strip you of your _age, _Bruce," Superman said slowly. "It also strips anyone within its boundaries of any superpower they obtain. Alien powers, physic powers, angelic power…_any _kind of unnatural or inhuman power is…gone when you're inside it. That's why I couldn't just try to defeat this villain myself…ten-year-old body or no. I was _powerless_. And any super powered hero who went in there would be left just as normal humans. No Starbolts. No shape changing abilities. Not even any sort of _electronics _is useable in there."

"The interference with your com-link," Bruce realized.

Clark nodded. He looked at us. "But neither of you _has _any superpowers," he continued, smiling. "You fight crime without it. So _you two _will be able to get in without any interference with that part of the enchantment. _You two _can do what none of us can."

There was a long silence, then "_No."_

Clark looked at Bruce, blue eyes wide. "What?"

"I said, NO," Batman growled. "It's too dangerous. I won't let them do it alone."

"Are you _kidding _me, Bruce?" Dick exploded, his face filled with fury. I'd only seen him get worked up _that _much once. And it didn't end pretty.

But this time, I was equally mad.

"You can't _stop _us," I said softly, fueling all my anger into the four soft-spoken words. Both Robin and Batman turned to me.

"What did you just say?" Bruce said.

I closed my eyes. "I said, you can't stop us," I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. My voice quivered with anger as I spoke. "There are innocent lives at _stake, _and only Dick and I can save them. I will _not_ stand by while people _die, _because you think it's 'to dangerous'."

There was a stunned silence. It's amazing what a mere thirty-two words can do. "We can do this, Bruce," Robin said softly, walking over to stand next to me and crossing his arms in a way that obviously implied that he wasn't planning on leaving any time soon.

"This is what you _trained _us for," I whispered, opening my eyes. "Give us a chance to _prove _ourselves."

There was a lengthily silence, in which Superman, Dick and I all watched Batman apprehensively. His expression never changed, and his gaze never left me. I felt like his pupiless white eyes were burning a hole through mine, but I never let my gaze waver, never changed position.

Finally, he sighed.

"Fine," he growled. "Have it your way, Clark. But if _either _of them is seriously injured—" he pointed an accusing gloved finger at Superman. "—it will be on _your _shoulders. And I will _never _forgive you."

Superman nodded solemnly. "I understand," he said seriously.

Batman held his gaze for a moment, then turned on his heel and started towards the Batplane. "Since you can fly on your own, Clark, I assume you can get Barbara and Dick to Bridendale. I am no longer needed."

"Of course," Superman said. "Technically though, you can come too. You won't have the super power problem…you'll just be ten years old."

Robin and I snorted. Batman stood in the hatch entrance of the Batplane. "I think I'll pass," he said. "I have business in Gotham."

He nodded at Superman respectively…and then turned to us. "Barbara, Dick…"

He stopped.

"Yes…?" I said, urging him on.

"Be…careful, okay?" he got out.

I smiled. "We will," Dick assured him.

Bruce looked at us for a long moment, and then closed the door to the plane and turned on the engine. "See you in the next global crisis, Bruce," Superman said, and then the Batplane took to the air and was gone.

Now it was just Dick, an extremely powerful Kryptonian…and me.

"Ready?" Superman asked as we hurried over to him.

"Um, I think so," I said nervously. "But…are you _really _just going to fly us to Bridendale?"

Superman grinned. "I won't fly at super speed if you don't want me to," he said playfully.

I took a big breath. "Alright, I can do this," I said, trying to convince myself as I stepped onto Superman's wide boot and clutched his arm.

"C'mon, Babs." Dick grinned, laughing, as he claimed Clark's other foot and arm. "It'll be just like our first Batbike ride together!"

"That's what I was _afraid _of…" I mumbled.

"Hold on…" Superman braced us, and then…the building disappeared.

I must have screamed, because Dick was laughing at me. I was clutching onto Superman's arm for dear life, not that it mattered, since I doubt he even _felt _it. We were rising rapidly, and were already about twenty or thirty hundred feet above the buildings. Or at least, that's what it felt like.

As we ascended, I started to relax. It wasn't unlike swinging from a Batline, but going _up, _and standing on someone's foot, holding on to their arm for dear life instead. Superman was watching me from the corner of his eye.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Fine," I said. "Just fine. Takes a little bit to get use to thought…"

Clark laughed. "You will, don't worry. But if you're okay with this, do you think it would be okay if I speed this journey up? Fly us to Bridendale at super speed?"

"YEAH!" Dick yelled enthusiastically.

I gulped. "O-o-kay," I said weakly.

"Alriddy then," Clark smiled, looking ahead. "Hold on tigghhhhhhht."

I screamed, but it was over in a second. We landed gracefully in a patch of blue flowers, and I shakily got off the Superman Express. Metropolis was just a dot in the distance. Whoa.

"That was _awesome_!" Robin exclaimed. He looked kind of green in the face, but he was smiling. I was feeling pretty sickly myself. "Can we do it again?"

Superman chuckled. "Maybe on the way back," he obliged. "We're here."

I turned around and sucked in my breath. Before me was a sparkling purplish-green…force-field type thing, surrounding the city ahead in a magical dome. My destination.

"Wait a minute…" Superman whispered suddenly, a strange look on his face. "The edge of the dome used to be over there."

He pointed to a tree twenty feet inside the field.

"It's spreading," Dick whispered in horror.

"We have to hurry," I mumbled, eyes wide.

"This is where I leave you," Clark said quietly, floating back into the air. "I have to get back to Metropolis in case this…_thing _spreads to there."

He looked at us, long and hard. "Barbara, Dick…" he sighed. "Be careful, okay? And please, hurry. If this thing really _is _spreading, we don't have much time."

"We will," I assured him.

He held our gaze for a moment, and then nodded.

"Good luck," he said. "From here on out, you're on your own."

**To be continued.**

**(A/N: Alriddy then, that's done! Thanks to all of you lovely readers for sticking with me. Sorry that this chapter…and the next…is a little off topic. Since this mission has absolutely **_**nothing **_**to do with Batgirl being unmasked. But I needed an excuse for Dick to have called Babs in the first chapter, and I wanted them to be together when Barbara's identity is revealed to the world, so I said they had a mission the next day.**

**Great. Now I have to make up a mission for them. I was thinking about something small originally…something within Gotham. But then **_**this **_**mission came to me, and it wasn't an opportunity I could pass up. So bear with me guys, and I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it thus far. Thanks for reading, and please review! –Mermaid)**


	3. The Mission Part 2

**(A/N: Soo sorry I haven't updated in forever! I started this two Thursdays ago during my study hall, and have been slowly progressing on it since. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers! Thanks for sticking with me! Enjoy!)**

I watched the blue and red clad figure of the Man of Steel fly away; butterfly's squirming in my stomach. Taking a deep breath, I turned around to face the hazy force field—or whatever it was—in front of me.

So this was it.

"You ready?" Robin asked, looking just as nervous as I was, though he was trying not to show it.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I sighed; though I had a feeling I was very far off from 'ready'.

"On the count of three?" Dick suggested.

"On the count of three," I agreed.

"One."

"Two."

"THREE!"

On three we both charged through the field at a sprint, closing our eyes and putting are arms ahead of us as we barreled through. We collapsed together on the other side, panting.

"You okay?" I asked Robin breathlessly.

"Yeah," he panted. "You?"

"Yeah," I said. "Do you…feel any different?"

"Not really," Dick said. "Sort of tingly."

"Yeah, same," I said, rubbing my arm as unnatural shivers and tingles quickly ran up it before disappearing. "Think it's from the field?"

"Probably," Robin said darkly. "Lets hope Superman's prediction was right. I do _not _want to get stuck here as a toddler."

I laughed despite myself. "There's a picture," I chortled.

"Oh shut up," Dick muttered, rolling his eyes. But he was smiling, I could tell.

I picked myself up, brushing off the bits of earth that were clinging to my black and yellow costume and picking a few stray leaves out of my red hair. "Shall we get rolling then?" I asked.

"Lets," Robin agreed, pulling himself off the ground as well.

Together, we made are way down the hill towards the gloomy-looking city before us, the force-field type thing looming ominously above our heads. The closer we got, the more forbidding the city seemed, like it was holding the whole of the underworld in its depths. I've never been much for Greek mythology, but I was not anxious to see anything that came from Hades, and I was sickened that my mind had first jumped to there.

And if that wasn't bad enough on my nerves, I was starting to feel even tinglier with every step I took.

"Barbara…" Dick exclaimed suddenly, stopping in his tracks and staring at me like I was an alien that just popped out of nowhere.

I looked at him, brow furrowing. "What?"I asked, confused.

"You're…you're…" Dick spluttered, pointing at me, seemingly not able to get the words out of his mouth.

I looked down at myself and gasped. My heart skipped a beat.

My costume was tight. Way tighter than it should be—and it's pretty tight. The pants had come up a couple inches above my yellow boots, and there was skin showing from the gap that had suddenly appeared between my gloves and the tip of my sleeves. I could feel the boots digging into my skin along with the gloves, a sure sign they were too small. My mask was pinching my face and when I felt my hair it came down much farther than I remembered it.

I looked at Robin, who was gaping at me. "You grew," was all he could say.

"I guess I did," I laughed uncomfortably. If I grew here…maybe that would mean I would actually grow some in the future? I've always been tired of being called short for my age. "Superman's theory must be right, considering I grew, not shrunk."

"Yeah," Dick said slowly, his forehead crinkling. "But why haven't I changed?"

I opened to my mouth to tell him I had no idea but swallowed the words at the sight before me.

I held back a laugh. "Uh, Rob…" I giggled, pointing at him.

Dick looked down and turned a deep scarlet. In the time it had taken him to ask why he hadn't changed, he had. The Boy Wonder was now a good foot or so taller—taller, I noted sadly, than me. His untidy black hair was now longer and wilder, spilling over his now very tiny green mask. But that wasn't all. Dick was now the size of a full grow man…soo his Robin gear was naturally not really the correct size anymore.

It was hilarious and disturbing all at the same time. His costume was so tight that his skin was pinched to the point of turning red. All three clasps on his Robin top had snapped, exposing a buff and—scarily—hairy chest. His belt was squeezing his stomach in so much that his whole torso looked out of proportion and his yellow cape was suffocating him. I predicted he'd start turning blue soon if he didn't get it off soon. And looking down at his feet, I doubted that he would ever get the Pixie Boots off. The little green shoes were pinching his feet so hard that he was actually bleeding slightly.

But then came the disturbing part. His Robin underwear…well, it was still underwear, but very _very _tight underwear.

He looked up at me…

And his face was so priceless I lost it, falling into fits of laughter until I could scarcely breathe.

"It's not funny," he said, clearly embarrassed, his cheeks a deep red.

"Um, yeah it is," I chortled. "Have you looked at yourself?"

"You look stupid too," he said defensively.

"Yeah, but not as bad as _that_!"

"Shut up."

"No."

"Barbara! It's not funny! I can't go down there looking like this!"

I rolled my eyes. "We can sneak into a clothing store and change, if it makes you feel better," I said. Personally, I wanted to too, since my boots were uncomfortably tight. And…well, despite how funny it was, I couldn't see Dick fighting well with his costume in _that _state.

He agreed and we continued our journey down towards the city, Dick hobbling along with his incredibly small Pixie Boots, much to my amusement.

When we reached the city, it was deserted. The two of us walked down the streets carefully, scanning the area for danger—and Dick worriedly for someone who might see his costume—but found none. I have no idea where the threat Superman mentioned is, but is certainly not on this edge of the city.

Before long, we found a small clothing store and slipped inside. Dick immediately hobbled over to the men's' changing room. I went over to the clothing racks and began to shift through them, looking for something that could temporarily replace my attire, but was still Bat-like enough for me to crime fight in. It wasn't easy, and some of the clothes were _really _cute, but I didn't want to take anymore than I needed. I felt bad taking clothes from the store as it is. The door had been unlocked and there was no owner or manager in sight, which I found peculiar. Maybe this villain or villainess scared everyone in this part of town off? It would explain why the store and the rest of the area were deserted and why the door was not locked.

After a couple minutes Dick came back, wincing with every step. He had somehow managed to wrench the Pixie Boots off, though his feet were scarlet and bleeding from where the shoes pinched at the skin. I felt a small rush of sympathy for him…which quickly left when I looked at the rest of him. He had taken his mask, shirt and Robin Underwear off, replaced with green sweats and a red t-shirt that he must have grabbed. I think my heart skipped a beat at the sight. The shirt was tight, showing off his pronounced biceps and abs. Dick has, of course, always been pretty fit, being a gymnast and all, but he was still a kid. This…this was different. And his _face_. He no longer had the child-like features of the Dick Grayson I knew so well. His face was older and…beautiful. His eyes were light and dreamy, and his long hair fell loosely over his handsome features. I found myself staring at him in disbelievement. I mean, I knew he was going to change into a man but…I didn't think he would be _hot._

Dick seemed to have noticed my staring. "What?" he asked sharply, his cheeks taking on a pink tinge.

I averted my gaze quickly. "Uh…nothing," I said lamely. Stupid stupid stupid! Why did I have to stare?

"I look stupid, don't I?" Dick muttered, sounding slightly put down. I felt a sudden rush of guilt. He thought I was laughing at him.

I looked up at him, and my heart skipped a beat again. "You look fine," I assured him. "Just…different. Older."

"Really?" Dick asked, almost like he didn't believe me. "You weren't laughing at me?"

"Not at all," I said. "Have you looked in the mirror yet?"

"No," he admitted. He paused for a moment, before he rushed to the nearest mirror he could find. I grinned as his jaw dropped to form an O.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.

"Told ya so," I laughed. "You're, what, twenty or so?"

"I guess," Dick said, sounding far off as he stared in the mirror in disbelievement, touching his long hair and flexing his muscles with a large grin on his face. "Babs, take a look at these guns!" he laughed. "Boom, boom FIRE POWER!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll be in the shoe aisle if you need me," I informed him, before walking off.

After a few minutes I had managed to find some cute little yellow tennis shoes in my size, which I switched for my tight boots, and some spandexy black pants to replace my short ones. But no matter how hard I searched I could not find a top that worked. I have to have my bat insignia. I'm not Batgirl without it. But, of course, none of the shirts I saw had a bat on them. Figures.

Frowning, I did a once over of the store again, hoping against hope there was somewhere I hadn't searched. No luck.

I guess I was just going to have to….wait…

I squinted at the distant sign in the shop, trying to make out the orange and black lettering. I can never read signs well without my reading glasses. Walking towards it, the blurry letters slowly became more readable, until the sign was completely legible.

HALLOWEEN.

Halloween. The store had a Halloween section! Why hadn't I seen this before? Course, it was in the far most corner of the store, being out of season. I hurried in among the racks, conscious that time was ticking away and that Robin and I had spent a good twenty minutes here already. I flicked through the shirts, finding pumpkins, black cats, witches and…

There!

I pulled out a black shirt, long sleeve, and in my size. On the front was a giant bat. Simple, with little wings and pointed ears. It was gray, unlike my signature yellow one, but was so much better than anything else I had managed to find. Finding the nearest changing room, I slipped it on, adjusting my utility belt to my new hip size. Thank God Bruce added that option! Turning to the full length mirror, I checked out my temporary look. It wasn't perfect, considering I had to ditch the too tight and short of a cape, and considering I was wearing yellow tennis shoes and a Halloween shirt complete with orange candy corn around the edges. (I hadn't noticed that before.) But it would have to do.

Leaving the changing room and sadly ditching my cape, Batgirl top and pants in the garbage, I went to find Dick.

He was right where I left him, flexing and posing in front of the mirror. The only change was that he now had black climbing boots on and he had ripped off his R insignia and pinned it to his red shirt with a safety pin.

"You ready?" I asked, stretching out my now slightly stiff muscles.

"Yeah," Dick said, turning away from the mirror to look at me.

His eyes met mine, and he smiled. I smiled back, before quickly looking away. But I could still feel his gaze on me, gentle but yet intense.

After a while I started to become a little self-conscious. "What are you staring at?" I asked, laughing nervously.

"Nothing," he said, his gaze shifting. "You just…you look so much…prettier."

I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Not like that, not like that!" he said quickly, tripping over his own words. "I mean, you look…_older_ and prettier. More flexible."

I grinned. " 'More flexible'?" I echoed. "Sure you don't mean 'more elegant'?"

Dick rolled his eyes. "Same difference," he muttered.

We grinned at each other for a while, my eyes looking into his…his eyes…

I frowned. "Um Dick…" I said slowly. "You know you aren't wearing a mask, right?"

Robin shrugged. "So?" he asked. "I don't even look remotely like myself at the moment. No one will be able to identify me."

"They will if you actually grow up to look like this," I pointed out. "Not to mention when you leave here you'll change back to your normal self and won't be wearing a mask."

"I'll keep it with me," he protested, holding up his tiny green mask and putting it in his pants pocket.

I rolled my eyes. "Still, you have to have something on before we go out there," I argued. "You know what Bruce would say. 'You have to keep your identity a secret. If you don't wear a mask you'll be endangering all of our identities and blah blah blah'."

Dick sighed. "Yeah, I guess," he murmured rather reluctantly. "But what _will _I wear? Unless you have a spare mask on hand?"

"No, but I have an idea," I said, taking off towards the checkout counter. Vaulting over it, I hurriedly riffled through the drawers until I found what I wanted. Smirking, I held it up.

A nice, fat black Sharpie.

Dick's eyes narrowed. "Not on your life, Babs," he growled.

"Oh don't be a baby," I said, sliding back around the counter and advancing towards Robin with the Sharpie uncapped. He tried to run, but I managed to corner him amongst the clothes racks, which wasn't easy now that he was taller and stronger than me. He protested and squirmed but I held him down with a nice held lock and carefully applied the Sharpie mask. When I was done, I stepped back to admire my work.

"There," I said, smirking. "All done."

Dick scowled, grouchily flicking his long hair out of his eyes. "That was uncalled for," he muttered.

"Oh don't be a grouch," I laughed. "It looks good."

Tentatively, Dick touched his drawn-on domino mask. "I'm not sure if I trust you."

"Ah c'mon," I said, smiling evilly. "What's not to like?"

Robin opened his mouth to respond but I had already turned my back on him. "C'mon, Man Wonder," I called, walking away. "We have to get moving. We've already spent _way _too much time here."

Dick rolled his eyes and murmured something along the lines of "girls" before following.

We opened the door of the store and walked out into the open air, the wind cutting through my now pretty thin clothes. I wished dearly for my insulated costume, but I guess that was no longer an option. Silently, we walked through the deserted streets. It was creepy and unnerving, and I found myself shivering despite myself.

As we made our way towards the center of town, my mind wandered to what Superman had said. He had never actually identified the threat; only that it was a "metahuman hostage situation." Now that I thought about it, he might never have actually _saw _the threat. His sudden switch from man to ten-year-old was probably a little more preoccupying. Plus that fact that he would have been stripped off his powers while he was in here. A sudden wash of unease flowed through me. Were we really going into a fight where we had absolutely no idea what we were facing?

Robin seemed to be having the same thoughts as me. "Do you actually have any idea what this metahuman looks like?" he asked worriedly.

"None," I said, biting my lip. "I guess we'll find out. We're almost there."

Dick's forehead crinkled in confusion. "How do you know?"

I pointed ahead. "Look."

We both stared at the end of the road in front of us. It led into what looked like a big square, though it was hard to tell. The entire entrance was covered with the pinkish force-field type thing, swirling in the air menacingly, much thicker and stronger-looking than the border field.

"Ten bucks our metahuman is in there," I said.

"I'm not arguing," Robin agreed. "But how do we get through? Just run through like we did with the last field?"

I gulped. "I don't think we have any other choice," I said.

"Alright then," Dick said, squaring himself off and glaring at the field with a determined look. "On the count of three."

"One."

"Two."

"THREE!"

On three we rushed the field and broke through, once again feeling the tingly sensation, but this time multiplied a thousand fold, knocking us both off our feet on the other side. Groaning, I felt stone below me as I weakly pushed myself on my feet.

"You okay?" I asked Dick, extending a hand to help him to his feet.

"Yeah," he murmured, grabbing my hand. I flinched at his touch. His hand was warm. "Fine. You?"

I nodded, opening my mouth to say yeah, but broke off at the sight before, my jaw dropping.

"Holy guacamole…" Robin breathed.

I couldn't have said it better myself.


End file.
